I Like Thursday #65

Welcome to my I Like Thursday post #65.  Thank you LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color for encouraging us to find things we like during the week and share with others.

I marvel at how quickly things change during the spring, but then there are times it seems to drag.  Especially when you get days, and days of rain and no sun.

I like the lilac trees for a lack of a better description that front the road along the lot. The smell is heavenly!

There are usual lilac colored ones and white.  I would love to add some of the dark purple, light lavender, and dark pink, and perhaps some other varieties. 

The lily of the valley are starting to bloom finally!  

I don't even know why they make me smile.

My flowering almond, which probably needs a wee bit of work, trimming some dead off of it.  

I love the prairie fire maple.

I like this tree I saw in a nearby town's park.

This tree is in the little town of Dundee.

Nearby along the old main street storefronts is a small door wedged in the wall.  It always catches my attention.

Knights of Pythias hall. 

When the rain lets up for a couple of days the help shows up without being told or asked.  He just decided that I needed my side yard mowed.

Many people asked about the oriole feeder.  I will say that it does attract them.

Sorry for the 2nd photo, but it is through the screen.  If I an outside it will land, scold me and fly away squawking at me the whole time. 

I spied this garden statue at the local feed store.  Going to the feed store is always fun.

This beauty is a about 3 foot tall.  His price tag is $130!

Kids on the farm always do interesting things.  I was walking back after picking the youngest up at the bus stop and spied this little vignette.

All the cars on the top rail of the goat pen racing from the movie Cars.

I will leave you with a chicken picture.  I looked out and I thought Oh no something got my chicken.  

Imagine my surprise when I see this and they are laying on the ground in a mud puddle?  I walked over and they are just basking in the sun!  The sit up, look at me like what's your problem?  Get up and walk away.

Life is always fun and interesting here. Now head over to LeeAnna's to see the other I Like Thursday posts.

I Like Thursday #64

Good morning and welcome to my I Like Thursday post #64.  Thank you LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color for encouraging and inspiring us to find something to like each week, because honestly I wouldn't post hardly ever if I didn't.  

I like my chickens they make me laugh, and smile.  I am not happy with them when I go out and they have dug out my planter pots to dust themselves in.  I was walking past the window and spied them in the small ditch that we have on our property to drain water into the large ditch in front of our home.

You can barely seem them as they walk through the ditch and the tall grass.  Like they are sneaking up on something.  What I don't think they even know. 

I like that the babies are large enough that I can let them out into their yard and they can't escape.  They are so funny.  The first day I opened the door to the yard they all stood in it, crowding each other.  Soon one would fall into the pen and panic and jump back in.  I still don't have many brave ones that venture into the yard.  

I like that I managed to keep my Japanese Maple alive through the winter.  I had one rose that didn't make it (I think someone stepped on it) playing on the berm.  

Yep my grass is tall, and full of dandelions.  I won't spray, I do go out and pull them occasionally.  We have had too many wet days, and so nothing can really get accomplished. 

I like my mother's day planter that was a gift from my mother and daughters.  

As well as 2 Rose of Sharon.  Now to dig them a hole and plant them. 

I like that my tulips finally started to bloom.  Took a long time.

I like surprises.  In the garden.

 I remember planting these before, they have somehow migrated to a different area outside of the flower bed.

Um the oak tree start is a surprise also but I have some Columbine too.  For a few years it was all over.  

I like the lineup of vintage autos even though they are all junkers at what used to be the local parts yard.  

I like my new lounge to enjoy the outdoors and a book when it isn't raining. 

A few years ago there was this weird lump in one of the trees at the very end of the branch.  Later on during the year that tiny branch broke off and I discovered it was an oriole's nest.  I then started to watch for them.  This year there is another nest way up, it has been there for 2 years now.  I was outside and this guy flew by me.

One of the ladies told me to get an oriole feeder.  It uses a jar of grape jelly.

In the couple of days that I have had it, I have watched a couple of orioles enjoying the treat.

I love that they have repaved my road.  Yes it was that bad with pot holes to the point where you had to practically drive down the center.  The problem is that people race up and down this road. I have a feeling it is going to get much worse now.  

Finally I like this series of books by Joanna Carl which takes place on the west coast of Michigan in a fictional town of Warner Pier.

Now head on over to LeeAnna's to see the other I like posts.

If I Finish Something....

If I finish something I can start something new?   But then I have so many WIP/UFO...Or maybe not.

I finished all the blocks for the scrappy trips for guild and am now sewing them together.  That can be considered an almost finish.

No this is not my layout.  I did change it up a bit so it flows a bit nicer.

My big finish though was the Color Crystals Quilt top.

I decided to use the pantry as a backdrop.  Lots of HST went into this quilt and the border.

I ordered an extra wide backing for it, so I hope to have it sandwiched soon and ready to quilt.

I got my bag lady block done for the month.  That is kind of a finish.  OK a mini finish.

I also managed to get a lot of charity quilts moved along for church.

Top one

Top 2.  This one was 10 X 10 so kind of big.  The two tops will go back to church to have batting and backing added.

I also finished 3 quilts for them.

Granted they are baby quilts but I have them ready for the ladies that tie.  So these 5 items my part in their making is finished. 

Last Thursday at guild there was a LQS owner that did a presentation on women and quilts in history.  It was very good, and of course she brought some goodies to purchase.

I saw these and knew they had to come home with me.

Speaking of guild we donate a quilt to the VFW ever year.  Someone grabbed one of my charity quilts and said they would enlarge it to donate.  Well, there is some apprehension by other members of the guild and I was coerced to purchase a pattern, and the necessary fabric from Missouri Star Quilt Company to make a quilt just in case. 

Of course if you look at their daily deals there are some other deals further down the page and I fell in love the with cherry fabric, but I will say I hate it when they rename a layer cake, jelly roll, charm squares and instead of ordering 2 jelly rolls I mistakenly ordered 2 layer cakes.  URGH!  Or course what I had in mind to make,  I needed 2 1/2 inch strips so back to Missouri Star to order the correct fabric.  While there I saw some fun batiks.

Not only did I get the 2 1/2 inch strips.  I got a free layer cake, and a book too!  Now to consider my project that I have been accumulating supplies for.....red white and blue or the fun purples, aquas and green batiks.  Oh the choices. 

I have decided to pick up on an old project and see if I can get it finished soon.  I have already started cutting the fabric.

The Sawtooth Square is my next project to finish up.  I think I need about 20 blocks which should go together pretty quickly.  Then to figure out what I am going to do for a border.  

My new start is going to be this.

I have the triangles on a roll, the pattern, the fabric.  It is a small project and will be fun to work on for a change.

Now if I could just move some of my quilting projects further along.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms, step moms, adoptive moms, pet mom and single parent dads that are moms too! 

May your day be filled with love, and remembrance for those whose mother's are no longer with us.

I Like Thurday #63

Welcome to my little corner of the universe where I have been encouraged to find things I like during the week by LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color.  Another busy week and as I was preparing for charity sew day for guild I realized oh snap! I need to write a post.  I think I have some things to share.  So here it goes.

I like gardening, not a fan of the weeding, and I will say the weeds and thistle are already out of control this year.  But imagine my delight when I spied a trillium beginning to break through the dirt.  I was always told that if you picked one it would be 7 years before it flowered again.  Mine isn't quite to the point to flower but it is trying, if we just had some sun, and not so much rain.

Alongside that trillium in that bed near the chicken house on the dark side of the garage, under the tree is an old decorative fence which was rescued and  that I put up and in that poor neglected bed are lily of the valley too.  I see shoots coming up all over which means that it has spread, which is what I wanted it to do.  In the not too distant future I will have a carpet of these beauties.

What makes that bed so very special is Jeff heard me mention that I loved them, and I was delighted when I discovered some in a weed patch by the front porch when I first moved in.  I transplanted as many as I could and they struggled but grew.  Then one year Jeff had a man come in with a 5 gallon bucket full of the lily of the valley he was going to throw away.  Jeff brought them home and lovingly planted them in that bed. 

I managed to get my fruit trees sprayed before they leafed, and in just a week later the cherry tree had blossoms.

I love cherry blossoms they are so pretty.  I wonder if I will be lucky enough to get a few cherries this year finally. 

At church we have a secret sister and I received this from my secret sister recently.

I have been following the directions but it isn't doing too well.  I am wondering if it needs to possibly be repotted.  I hear you have to have a special potting mix.  It seems to possibly be root bound, I have always heard orchids are hard and I am discovering that it is true but it is so pretty. 

I like doing charity stuff and am thrilled when I get some things accomplished.  This past month I made dog/cat pillows for the animal shelter.

Those will go to guild and I will have managed to have eliminated 4 big garbage bags of scraps and batting that have been donated to me.  YIPPEE!  Except I found 2 more bags of scraps and batting for beds as I was prepping for charity sew day at guild.  Boo!

What do you do with a copy paper box full of 2 1/2 inch strips?  You make a scrappy trip quilt.  OK not quite a quilt, but not too shabby considering that I was doing it as leaders and enders for about 2 weeks. 

This a Bonnie Hunter pattern and it is under the free tab.  Super fun and simple to make and so this will be what the ladies will be working on at charity sew day.  I need one more block, and 15 blocks makes a gurney size quilt! 

Bobbin got to go to the pet store the other day, she has been having problems with her collars rubbing since she doesn't have a ton of fur, and she gets raw spots on her neck and chest.  I have tried padded ones, ones with sheepskin, and they just aren't working.  While we were cruising the aisles getting a new water bowl, a new tie out lead, and a couple of toys we spied these dog hats.

Auntie LeeAnna look at the flamingo hat.  Here I will turn sideways so you can see it better.

Nope Bobbin was not a fan of the flamingo hat. So back on the hook it went.  Bobbin and I conferred and think it was definitely too small for Milo's majestic head.

I like to repurpose things in my house.  I don't necessarily refinish them, but I will use them for something they were not intended.   Like this beautiful old dresser which was in a closet in my bedroom.  I know, um I don't have clothes in that closet so I was unaware of the empty dresser.  It is a great size for a TV stand though, and the drawers can store movies and other stuff.

I was telling my mom about it and of course her first comment was you did put a dresser scarf on it right.  Um I don't own a dresser scarf.  Oh Duh!  I have plenty of table runners and so I pulled one out and redid it after this pictures. 

My book for the week that I enjoyed the most was Wood's Wreck by Steven Becker.  What I like about these books are they are a fast read, full of action, adventure, the Florida Keys, scuba diving, smuggling, and espionage. 

Now head over to LeeAnna's to see what the other people who post I Like Thursdays have on their list of likes.

I Like Thursday #62

Welcome to my 62nd I Like Thursday post.  Thank you to LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color for encouraging us to find things that we love throughout the week, and share with others.

I like when a plant I have planted, and fretted that it did not come up suddenly appears a year or two later.

 See that little white flower?  It is called Lecojum.  I purchased the bulbs a couple of years ago and planted.  Imagine my delight to see a couple come up and bloom this year.

Jeff's and my favorite ice cream shop has opened for the season.  I went and got my first cone of the year of the chocolate/vanilla frozen custard.

I normally shop at the local businesses but I have wandered into Family, Farm and Home a couple of times in the past couple of weeks.  I needed oyster shell grit for my chickens and more chick grit, and the local feed store does not carry it.  While there I spied this fun bird house.

It looks like it is made from license plates. 

I saw this and thought of LeeAnna instantly. 

A Flamingo yard light!

My little girls are at that awkward teen stage.  They have feathers, but also down and are just funny looking. 

Finally I was lucky enough to spy the most recent Deeanna Raybourn-- Veronica Speedwell book and snatched it up from the library. 

I am going to be sad when there is no more in this series. Do you get that way when you finish a series you really enjoy?

Now head over to LeeAnna's and check out the other I Like Thursday blogs.